SALTBOX Studios alongside RDU 98.5FM and Tyan Haus, with support from the Christchurch City Council, is offering a subsidy for Christchurch bands and artists to create and promote new work.
The programme will subsidize access for 20 bands or artists to produce unreleased pieces of music in the next year. Successful applicants will receive a full day of recording and producing with a SALTBOX Studio engineer and producer. Applicants will walk away with a song ready to promote and release.
RDU came up with the programme idea after the first Covid-19 lockdown. It stemmed from Soundplant, another programme that involves RDU and SALTBOX, that aims to raise awareness and access to knowledge to help make expenses and revenue meet.
Soundplant brings musicians together to share experiences and raise general knowledge. SALTBOX Studios and RDU Managing Director James Meharry says the Music and Sound Subsidy will encourage musicians to feel capable and confident to create, produce, promote, and perform.
“It might mean the beginning of where they can make a choice in music as a career…because at the moment, a lot of musicians can’t make that choice,” Meharry said.
“You don’t have to scratch the surface to see that musicians are generally struggling…unless you’re making music that is popular culture or mainstream in its attraction.”
Council Events and Arts Manager Lucky Blackmore says the subsidy aligns with their arts and creativity strategy Toi Ōtautahi.
"Staff felt the programme’s focus on upskilling and providing opportunities to underrepresented and lower socio-economic communities would remove access barriers to participation in the arts," Blackmore said.